Jay Leno Comes Back, Scores Überratings

By Mark Lorenz on March 2nd, 2010

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We all have egg on our face now, don’t we?

Conan O’ Brien lost his late-night show, but came away smelling like roses. Jay Leno, however, came away smelling like a dead baby’s crib, virgin sacrifices, and everything else that is unholy and consumed with avarice. And everybody I talked to thought that when Leno made his return, he’d plummet through the glass house of television and bomb.

But of course, that didn’t happen. Jay Leno made his late-night re-debut last night, and the numbers are in. It’s a smash success, all over again. He beat David Letterman’s ratings by 80%. 80%. If the ratings wars were a finals paper, it would pass with flying colors. What did Leno do? He stayed classy, by taking subtle shots at Conan O’ Brien’s tenure.

But it begs the question, how will Jay Leno last? Will his ratings stay steady? Will David Letterman be cursing the day he made fun of NBC’s hackneyed antics? Only time will tell. All we know is Leno’s first week of guests are heavy-hitters. Last night’s show included Brad Paisley and Jaime Foxx.

And if you enjoy the video we’ve attached above, I question your tastes. So sit back, and watch your lumbering dinosaur of a talk-show host.